Leighton Hospital bosses have warned violence against staff will not be tolerated after a man was arrested following an alleged assault on a doctor.

Police were called to the Crewe hospital shortly after midnight on Thursday, May 23, following an incident on one of the wards.

They responded to reports that the doctor had been pushed and spat at by a patient.

A spokesperson for Cheshire police confirmed that a 40-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of section 39 assault and outraging public decency. He has now been released pending further inquiries.

A spokesperson for Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Leighton Hospital, said: “We can confirm that Cheshire police were called to Leighton Hospital just after midnight on Thursday, May 23.

“We will assist the police with any ongoing enquiries and are unable to comment further at this stage, however our staff come to work every day to help others and any violence or aggression towards them will not be tolerated.”

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The hospital also supports the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018, which came into force November 2018 and led to tougher sentences for those who assault emergency workers, including NHS staff.

Under the act, the maximum prison term for people found guilty of common assault against emergency workers has doubled from six months to a year.

Before the bill received Royal Assent, former Justice Minister Rory Stewart stated there had been 17,000 assaults on NHS staff nationwide.